


Twisted Agendas

by yenneferxrhaenyra



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bodyguard, Character Death, F/M, Gun Violence, Jonerys, Modern Era, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, murder mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:01:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24398446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yenneferxrhaenyra/pseuds/yenneferxrhaenyra
Summary: After an attack on her family that ends with her sister-in-law dead and her brother injured, Daenerys’ father decides she needs personal protection and, for once, she might actually agree with him.Agent Jon Snow loves his job, but he isn’t looking forward to babysitting yet another spoiled rich girl. It doesn’t help that her first impression of him is that he’s cold and calculating.Two people from insanely different backgrounds, who clearly don’t think much of one another, now forced to spend every day & night together while dealing with the aftermath of their own personal tragedies.
Relationships: Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 29
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

“Do you understand the assignment, Agent?”

“Yes, ma’am. I appreciate you putting your trust in me. I won’t let you down.”

“I wouldn’t have chosen you for this if I thought that was a possibility, Agent Snow. Make sure you look through the dossier again. Familiarise yourself with the subject. I don’t think I need to stress just how important this assignment really is.” She gave him a pointed look. “For all of us.”

“I understand, ma’am.”

“Alright, you’re dismissed for now. You’ll meet her tomorrow.”

He nodded and left the room without another word.

The rest of his day passed by uneventfully but once he was home and alone in bed, the anxiety and annoyance set in.

Jon Snow was a decorated soldier. A war hero turned secret agent.

To call babysitting some spoiled rich girl a demotion was the understatement of the century.

He reached over to his bedside table and pulled the dossier out of the drawer. Skimming through the details and information on the accident, Jon came to information about her.

Daenerys Targaryen.

Daughter of Aerys, the King of the Seven Kingdoms.

The monarchy should have been completely abolished centuries ago, but it had been kept around for traditions sake, with all the powers they’d originally had stripped from them. The reigning monarchs were rulers in name only and they had had virtually no real say in anything that happened across Westeros for roughly 100 years or so.

That is, until King Aerys II ascended to the throne.

He’d taken absolute control of the government by staging what most had begun referring to as a bloody coup. But it wasn’t exactly a coup.

He’d just ‘requested’ that all prime ministers, presidents, and governors either present themselves to him on the day of the winter solstice or they could watch their families die painfully. Nobody actually thought he was serious, so some decided not to turn up. Those that did present themselves, out of fear, were imprisoned immediately.

When the others did eventually present themselves to demand that Aerys release their friends and colleagues, he had them all slaughtered in a variety of vicious manners and finally placed people he believed he could trust in charge of the different regions.

After he took control, everything had pretty much stayed the same as it was before and for a while, the realm had even prospered but there were new conflicts cropping up every day.

Many people hadn’t liked that Aerys had seized control the way he had but they especially didn’t like that he had also chosen to continue the Targaryen tradition of marrying brother to sister.

In the end, it was probably a good thing Aerys did marry Rhaella; she was undoubtedly one of the main reasons nobody had attempted to overthrow him. She had left home quite young and travelled the world before settling in Essos and becoming a famous actress there. Unfortunately for her, when her touring production of The Princess and The Queen – a play based on her actual family history – reached Westeros, Aerys sent guards to the stage door after their opening night to demand she present herself at court.

As soon as she had stepped foot back into the Red Keep, she wasn’t to leave until she’d married her brother and been crowned Queen Consort. Even then, she was only allowed to leave when she’d been given his express permission and only when accompanied by guards Aerys himself had approved of.

Despite her reluctance to be Queen and her obvious hatred for her brother-husband, Rhaella remained kind and considerate and the smallfolk adored her. She made sure they were all cared for to the best of her abilities and she somehow managed to temper most of her husband’s darker desires. That is, until she moved out of their main quarters and into a separate keep that was known as the “maidenvault” for her final pregnancy.

Daenerys was their youngest child. Rhaella had had many miscarriages and stillbirths throughout her marriage but eventually she gave birth to a healthy son, Rhaegar, followed 5 years later by another son, Viserys. Daenerys then came along after another 13 years plagued by miscarriages – the daughter Rhaella had always wanted. Unfortunately for Rhaella, Aerys forcibly took control of how their children were raised so the likelihood of them being anything like their mother was slim.

Jon looked over at the photos in the dossier. There was no denying Daenerys was beautiful – her whole family was – and judging by her qualifications, she was also extremely well-read, but he knew people like her.

Daenerys was in a position where she could be given anything she could ever possibly want, maybe before she even asked. All she really had to do to get by was mention her father or her eldest brother – realistically, nobody would say no to her. Not unless they wanted Aerys to burn them alive.

All things considered, there was no way she wasn’t a snob.

Paparazzi had captured images of the aftermath of the incident and looking at them made an uncomfortable twisting sensation begin in the pit of Jon’s stomach.

Armed guards rushing towards the Targaryen’s car, Aerys screaming into his phone, the dead bodies in the car just barely visible because of the camera angle, and Daenerys. Scrambling around by the car door, covered in blood with her eyes wild and tears streaming down her face. She was just barely being held up by a young man who looked just like her, clearly one of her brothers.

Jon felt a horrible pang in his chest. Two people had died in the attack; Aerys’ assistant, who was not named in the file, and his daughter-in-law, Elia. His son, Viserys, had also been injured. Shot in the arm while shielding his sister.

 _Bad idea reading this before bed. Should’ve waited ‘til tomorrow morning._ Jon shoved the dossier into his bedside drawer and lay back down in bed, slowly preparing himself for a fitful night of very little sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the panic on her blood-covered face.

***

Daenerys smoothed out her dress and placed a hand on the door handle, noting that her hands were even shakier today.

Her father had summoned her to the council room, and she had a pretty good idea what it was going to be about.

It had been a week since they had been attacked.

A week since Elia had died.

Daenerys closed her eyes at the thought of her sister. She could still see the fear on Elia’s face when the first few shots rang out, the way her face had contorted with pain and confusion when she got hit.

Daenerys shook off those thoughts and turned the handle, putting on a fake smile as she walked in to see her father sat with Olenna Tyrell, and a serious looking man she didn’t recognise stood beside them both.

“Hello, Father.”

Aerys turned to look at her and an ugly smile spread across his face. “Daenerys, sweetheart. Come here.” He gestured towards the empty seat beside him and Daenerys made her way towards it. “You remember Olenna, yes?”

Daenerys nodded, sitting down. “Yeah, I saw her at that fundraiser for the new community garden in the Reach. It’s nice to see you again.”

Olenna smiled a smile that at first glance seemed warm but Daenerys could see it didn’t reach her eyes. They were cold and uninviting. “It’s nice to see you too, Daenerys. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, thank you.” Daenerys forced a small smile. “Father, you summoned me for… something?”

Aerys nodded, still smiling that ugly smile of his. “Yes. After the uh… incident? The other week. I’ve been speaking with Olenna and we both agree that you would benefit from some personal security.”

Daenerys raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Right.”

“Yes, you may not think it’s a good idea, but I believe it is.”

Olenna nodded slowly. “Your father is right. We have no idea who the people that attacked you are and there is a very good chance they could attack again. They’ve already successfully killed your sister-in-law and I highly doubt she was the intended target.”

“Daenerys, it does not really matter whether or not you agree. I am not only your father; I am also your King, and this is what I-”

“I do agree, Father.”

Daenerys glanced up in time to see the same look of confusion Aerys had now spread across the mystery mans face then vanish as fast as it had appeared, the cold emotionless look returning to his face.

Aerys settled back in his seat but said nothing. Olenna was first to speak.

“We didn’t expect you to agree so easily. Your father was certain you would put up a fight.”

Daenerys shrugged. “You guys are right. The people who killed Elia might not have been after her specifically and they could try again so the smart thing would be more protection.”

Aerys nodded and a smile crept onto his face slowly. “I told you my daughter would be smart about this. Just like her father, I did say. Ha!”

A chill went down Daenerys’ spine when he said that. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted less in the world than to be compared to him.

But she said nothing. She only smiled and gestured to the man stood beside her father, who had still said not a single word the whole time she had been here.

“I take it this is my new bodyguard?”

“Yes.” Olenna spoke up. “This is Agent Jon Snow. He’s assigned to you for as long as it takes to find the people responsible. He is your employee and will do whatever you say but at the end of the day, your safety is of the utmost importance and he is authorised to do whatever he deems necessary to keep you safe. Understand?”

Daenerys only nodded in response. The man was still showing not even a hint of emotion but the way his cold eyes bore into her made it clear that he already wasn’t her biggest fan.

“Good. I shall take your leave now. No rest for the wicked and all that.”

Aerys cackled. “I’m glad this is all sorted. Come, Olenna. I shall show you out.” He grabbed Daenerys’ hand and kissed her knuckles gently. “Farewell.”

Daenerys only nodded again, with a polite smile this time.

With that, Olenna and Aerys left the room and she was alone with Agent Snow.

***

Jon hadn’t been expecting her to agree to a bodyguard so quickly or easily. It’s not that he thought she was going to cause a scene or start throwing things around in a childish temper tantrum, but he really expected her to just insist she was fine or that she could look after herself.

So, while he was glad she didn’t do or say any of that, he was still quite confused.

Daenerys shifted uncomfortably in the seat in front of him and smiled up at him, letting out a little nervous laugh-type noise.

“Um, I guess we haven’t really been properly introduced. Y’know? So, I’m Daenerys.”

She stretched out her hand and he slowly took it, giving it a firm shake.

“I’m Jon Snow. You are aware that this arrangement means I will be shadowing you pretty much 24/7, right?”

She nodded.

“That’s good. I was told a room had already been prepared for me in your quarters?”

Daenerys stared at him blankly for a moment. “Uhhh, I don’t… Maybe? Something was going on up there earlier, but I literally only found out about this now so… I’m not sure?”

 _Great. She’s clueless._ “No problem. I’ll follow up with your father or his assistant later.”

Daenerys nodded, standing up slowly. “His new assistant.” She mumbled under her breath, causing Jon to raise an eyebrow inquisitively but she just shook her head slightly, before continuing. “I would like to go see my mother now. So, I guess you’re coming with me?”

He nodded and they walked towards the door together, with him holding it open for her when they reached it.

~

As the day went on, Jon had to be honest with himself; she wasn’t really what he expected.

Nothing about her seemed snobby or stuck-up. So far, she was just quiet and polite.

But there was something odd in the way she moved and the way she acted.

It was the way she jumped when he would approach her or the way she would tense up and her eyes would dart all over the place when there were any new noises, even if they were something as simple as a door opening down the hall.

It might have been nothing but, all things considered, he found himself feeling concerned by what it could mean for her. Her quiet demeanour and caring attitude could have all been an act but even if it was, she had been through quite a traumatic event and the kind of pain and suffering that usually followed was something he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

 _It’s none of my business. I’m just here to do my job._ Jon mentally shook off those thoughts and took out his notepad and pen, before he turned his attention back to her.

“I don’t usually share this with anyone, so it feels pretty weird giving it all to a total stranger.” Daenerys looked up at him with a small smile. “You got your pen ready?”

Jon nodded, holding it up for her to see, and she began talking him through all her upcoming appointments and plans. There wasn’t much happening for the next week or so, but Jon knew it was best for him to have planned in advance any escape routes and extra protection that might be needed.

“Are you sure that’s everything?” He really thought she would have had more galas or upscale events befitting someone of her status. She was the daughter of a King after all.

Daenerys nodded. “Yeah, there really isn’t anything going on this week. But I promise you, next week, I will _really_ be making you work. Okay?”

She had a teasing smile on her face, and he felt his face flush slightly.

“Well, it is what I’m here for, ma’am.” He kept his tone light and he couldn’t help but find it amusing when she visibly cringed and shook her head.

“Just ‘Daenerys’ is fine, Agent Snow.”

 _She’s not your friend, you don’t have to pretend she is. Protect her and leave it at that._ “Okay, Daenerys. Then, just ‘Jon’ is fine for me.”

A giant, warm smile spread across her face and, despite his new growing concern about professionalism, Jon gave her a soft smile back.


	2. Chapter 2

Three weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

Despite her promise to really put him to work, Daenerys hadn’t had many things planned beyond packing her things and planting flowers with her mother when her father wasn’t around.

Although it was slower and more mundane work than she thought he might have been used to, Jon seemed to be dealing with following her schedule and protecting her perfectly fine. She could almost be convinced that he was enjoying her company.

While she wasn’t entirely sure that _she_ trusted the judgment of either Olenna or her father, they seemed to trust Jon and Daenerys couldn’t deny that she quite liked having him with her. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was also trained extensively in the use of firearms and various fight styles.

All in all, she felt safer with him around.

But all the physical training in the world couldn’t stop her nightmares. Images of blood-soaked clothing, the shattered windows, Elia’s face. At night, she could hear the gunshots ringing out so clearly, it was like they were happening in the room with her right then and there.

The one silver-lining she had had was that she was safe from those thoughts during the day but that was only true for as long as she had stayed in her bedroom in the Red Keep, not seeing or speaking to anyone even when food was dropped off outside the door for her.

As soon as she was outside, surrounded by both new and familiar people, she was on edge. The smallest noise set off the worst panic – limbs turning to jelly, pins and needles shooting through them as her heart pounded so hard that she was sure it was going to burst out of her chest.

“Right. So, what are you doing next week?”

Pulled from her thoughts, Daenerys looked up to see Jon already looking at her expectantly with his pen in his hand.

“Well, at the start of the week, we’ll be going to Dorne.” The look of confusion on his face brought a small smile to her lips. “I have some work to do there. For the school I teach at in Meereen.”

The look of confusion remained.

“Ah. I wasn’t aware you had a job. It wasn’t in your file.”

“That’s strange.” Now, it was Daenerys’ turn to look confused. It made no sense for that information to not have been included. “Maybe my father or Olenna thought it best to keep it off those records? For safety’s sake, maybe?”

Jon didn’t look convinced but nodded anyway. “What’s in Dorne for work?”

“It’s just fundraising stuff. To ensure the kids have enough books and equipment for the next year. I’ll have exact times for things when we get there.”

Jon scribbled some notes down as she spoke, still nodding.

“Plus, my brothers are down there so it’d be good to see them too, when we have a chance.” Daenerys paused for a moment, glancing up at Jon warily. “You’re okay with all this travelling, right? Sorry, I should have made sure that you knew about that sooner.”

“No need to apologise. It’s part of my job. Gotta protect you wherever you go.”

Had it not been for the jokey tone and sincerely warm smile he gave her, Daenerys might have thought he resented that.

***

Jon finally had to admit it: he was way too quick to judge Daenerys.

But, while she definitely wasn’t the bitchy snob he had thought she would be, he still felt like she was hiding something.

But that wouldn’t be surprising.

In fact, it would be the one thing about this whole situation that didn’t surprise him. Daenerys had been through a traumatic event, so of course there was always going to be a chance that she would be secretive and somewhat withdrawn afterwards.

A little voice in the back of his head kept telling him that it was none of his business. That he should just stick to doing what’s in his job description and that trying to work out what was going on in her head was definitely _not_ keeping things 100% professional.

_But is that the right thing to do here?_

The majority of his alone time over the past three weeks had been spent overthinking about how far he was really willing to go for this job.

“What age group do you teach?” Jon had had no idea Daenerys had a normal job. Then again, why would a Princess even need a job?

“Mostly children under 10. Most classes are just a mix of ages until we figure out what groups the children should be put in, based on their needs as well as age. The school is part of a children’s home.” A sad smile played on her lips and she sighed as she twirled her pen between her fingers. “The kids get sent there from all over Westeros and the numbers have really gone up in the last 10 or so years.”

“Because of the wars?” Multiple members of Jon’s family had fought in a few of the wars that had happened in the last 30 years, both before and after Aerys’ ascension to the throne. They were petty affairs – hardly worth being called ‘wars’, more like mild skirmishes.

“Yeah. Kings and Lords fighting each other all the time but the poor and the children are the ones that really suffer for it. That’s also part of the reason why we’re going to Dorne. We wouldn’t normally need to fundraise so soon and especially not for equipment but after all that stuff in the North, our costs have gone up again.”

Jon held back a wince – he was well aware of what had gone on in the North. Well, the details of how it all began were shrouded in mystery and his uncle refused to talk about it, but he knew that his other uncle had started the whole thing stupidly and somehow his mother had been at the centre of it all.

Daenerys didn’t seem to know that though.

“That’s understandable. Well, hopefully you can get the funds. It is for a good cause, after all.”

With a small smile, and seemingly unaware of the mess of thoughts going through Jon’s head, Daenerys continued rattling off dates and times for the next few weeks.

~

A car had been sent on behalf of Oberyn Martell to collect Jon and Daenerys from the airport.

The whole plane ride from Kings Landing to Dorne, Jon had noticed how on edge Daenerys was. She had gripped his hand so tightly for the whole flight. He’d been more than happy to provide that little crutch, that small comfort of her knowing she wasn’t alone and that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. It was nothing major. The warm, electric feeling he got when she touched him was hard to ignore though, try as he might. How many more times would he have to remind himself that this was his job? That he needed to keep this professional? For both their sakes.

The only time Daenerys hadn’t been on edge and breathing deeply and heavily to calm herself was when she finally managed to doze off. It clearly wasn’t just a standard case of flying-related anxiety, but Jon also didn’t think it was because of the risk of another attack.

An airport was the perfect place for someone to try again.

If he had to bet on it, he would say it was because of who they were meeting.

The Martells were a powerful family – the only ones to stand their ground against Aerys and not lose their heads for it. It was their money that would help fund the school.

But they were also Elia’s family.

It had been their decision to not change the dates for the fundraising meetings after Elia’s death, but Jon could tell from how she was acting that Daenerys was still concerned about it.

“Do you think it’s too soon?”

“Hmm?”

“I know it’s nothing to do with you and not your job and stuff but like, be honest? Do you think it’s too soon to be having a meeting like this?” She turned her head to face him and he could see the stress and anxiety painted all over her features. “It really hasn’t been that long, and I’ve barely spoken to them about Elia.”

“What about funeral arrangements?”

“My father wouldn’t allow them to bury her in Dorne. He said that as a member of the royal family and mother of a future king, she had to be laid to rest in our family crypt.” She answered with a heavy sigh. “He was originally going to have her cremated but Rhaegar managed to stop that.”

Jon let out a heavy sigh of his own as he contemplated his answer. “I guess it depends what you’re concerned about.”

“What do you mean?”

“Is it that you think they’ll be harsh on you and the children based on what your father’s done or are you worried they resent you for surviving the attack when your sister-in-law didn’t?”

“I guess both.” She looked down at her hands, resting them on her knees and picking at her nails before mumbling under her breath. “Mostly the second though.”

Jon wasn’t sure what to say. Anything could be the wrong thing and almost nothing could be helpful in a situation like this. He reached out towards her and placed his hand over hers, squeezing lightly.

“It’ll be okay. Try not to worry too much.” _Idiot. ‘Try not to worry’? Stupidest fucking thing you could have said to her._ “Your brothers are there and they haven’t said anything about the Martells being negative towards them and Viserys was also in the car that day. I know I don’t know them, but I doubt they’d be nasty to you if they weren’t to him.”

Daenerys turned and gave him a small smile, clearly still a bit anxious. “You’re probably right. We’ll find out tomorrow anyway.”

~

Jon sat right outside the door, waiting patiently for Daenerys to finish up her meeting.

Her brothers had accompanied her inside and, after checking the room out thoroughly to be sure that she was safe in there, he had agreed that he should stay outside. As long as he could be sure that she was safe in there, the meeting was none of his concern.

After the restless night he had had, he was extra concerned about Daenerys. As he lay awake, through the thin walls, he could hear her in the adjoining room. She spent hours just pacing back and forth and he was sure that he had heard her throw up at some point.

It was obviously the anxiety and nerves about the meeting she was now in but, as he lay there in the dark listening, his stomach felt like it was flipping in on itself and his heart practically burst out his chest.

He didn’t go to her though.

Who knows how she would have reacted to that? And, even if she welcomed the company and whatever support he might have offered in that moment, what if him seeing her like that just embarrassed her?

In the grand scheme of things, embarrassment wasn’t the worst possible outcome but, regardless of how strong she may have been acting, he knew she was vulnerable and fragile. All that that embarrassment would serve to do is make her try and get better at hiding these things for the future.

And who knows how much worse things could get for her.

The double doors beside him opened suddenly, making Jon jump. The laughing group began exiting the room and he stood up quickly, barely holding back a smile as he saw Daenerys emerge, a radiant smile on her face as she thanked Oberyn once again.

“Honestly, you have no idea how much this means to me.” She shook his hand, covering their entwined hands with her other free one. “And how much this is going to help the children.”

“It’s quite alright.” The man let out a slow, heavy breath. “This cause meant a lot to Elia; it would be doing her a disservice to not help as much as possible.”

“Yeah. It’s a sweet way to honour her and her memory.” Daenerys’ brother Viserys spoke up. He hadn’t said much to anyone, since even before Jon took the job. He watched closely as Viserys gave his older brother a sympathetic smile, before Rhaegar spoke himself, in a low, hushed tone.

“It’ll be sweeter still when we get the bastard that killed her.”

There was a moment of sombre silence following his words, nobody really knowing how to follow it up. It just didn’t feel like the right time to inquire about what measures were being taken to ensure everyone’s safety and what Aerys’ plans were for tracking down Elia’s murderer and punishing him, although Jon knew that that was exactly what Oberyn wanted to ask the Targaryen siblings now.

He suspected it was mostly Rhaegar that would be in the firing line when Oberyn did eventually get his moment. After all, Elia was his wife and the mother of his children. With a bit of digging, Jon had found out that the couple had had various problems in the past and had even separated at one point so it wouldn’t have been a massive surprise to Jon if the Martells were to hold a grudge against Rhaegar right now. Especially if they thought that, for whatever reason, Rhaegar had failed to protect her.

That he knew something more than he was saying.

The man had acted very strangely towards Jon and though it seemed like Rhaegar was trying to pass it off as general discomfort towards a trained killer looking after his baby sister, Jon could tell there was something else.

He just didn’t know what exactly.

None of that mattered right now though. Daenerys had gotten the funds she needed and the giant smile on her face was so bright, it could have powered the whole of the Seven Kingdoms.

Oberyn and his crew said their goodbyes to everyone, even offering a curt nod to Jon, before leaving with Rhaegar escorting them. As soon as they were out of earshot, Daenerys squealed, jumping slightly and gripping Jon’s arm tightly.

“Oh my god! Can you believe it?! He actually put forward more money than we asked for.” She let out a content sigh and ran her free hand through her hair. “This is amazing.”

Jon’s eyes moved between Daenerys’ smiling face and the hand she still had gripping his arm, a bright smile of his own appearing on his lips.

“Yeah, it really is.”

***

“We’re finally here!”

Daenerys waved her arms in front of her, presenting her apartment to Jon, who was still stood beside the front door.

After another stressful and anxiety-inducing flight, Daenerys and Jon finally arrived in Meereen.

Daenerys was insanely grateful for Jon and how calming his presence on the plane was, though, she could see how much more on edge he was walking through the airport in Meereen. But she put that down to the fact that there had been way more security in the Dornish airport than in the Meereenese one.

He was silent the whole car ride to her apartment and, while it seemed quite stern and stand-offish to her, he let Daenerys hold his hand the whole time, even comfortingly rubbing his thumb back and forth over her hand.

“Wait here, please.”

Jon put down the bags he was holding and removed his gun from the holster at his waist, turning the safety off and holding it up, ready to shoot. Daenerys closed the front door and leaned against it, watching him as he darted through her apartment, checking each room cautiously before returning to her side.

He put the safety back on and re-holstered his gun, looking over his shoulder warily.

“All clear.” He gave her a gentle smile. “You have a nice home. Not quite what I was expecting though.”

“Because of my family and stuff?”

He nodded and she let out a small laugh.

“Well, it’s only me here so it’s not like I need a mansion or something.”

“It’s nice here. I like it.”

“Thanks.” There was a moment of silence and Daenerys had to quickly avert her eyes from his, the intensity from his grey eyes boring into her just a little bit too much for her right then. “Lemme just put these in there then I’ll show you your room.” Grabbing her bags from the floor, she moved towards her own bedroom quickly.

Even though it would be brief, she was grateful for a quick moment alone – she wasn’t sure when she’d get another.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jon, because she did, but it was starting to feel inappropriate. He had been assigned to protect her in a strictly professional capacity and yet every time they touched, she felt sparks. It made no sense, especially since he only seemed to be touching her solely for her comfort and she hadn’t even known him very long. She didn’t really know him at all. For all she knew, he hated it and hated her for making him cross a line.

Something inside of her made her doubt that last part, but that doubt didn’t stop her constantly thinking it was a possibility. Just like how his warm smiles and comforting gestures didn’t stop her thinking it either.

There was no point lying to herself: Daenerys had a crush.

It didn’t matter though. Besides everything about his job and how she also knew her father would never accept it, Daenerys herself was in no position to pursue anything romantic.

Nothing could ever happen with them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long xx
> 
> TW for blood, gun / gun shot and death / dead bodies

Jon shot up suddenly, his hand already wrapped around the gun under his pillow.

He could have sworn he heard screaming but there was none now. It was very easy to nearly convince himself that the thought was just a remnant of a dream he couldn’t remember but there was something else now, so he remained still for a moment; just listening, trying to discern the sounds he was hearing.

After a minute, it became clear that the one of the sounds he was hearing was that of a woman sobbing and there was obviously only one place that sound could be coming from.

Leaving the gun behind, he slid out of bed and quickly rushed to Daenerys’ room.

The sobbing only grew louder as he approached, and he could now clearly hear the sound of retching and heaving.

Hand hovering over her bedroom door handle, he paused. _What if it’s nothing? What if she doesn’t want me in there?_ He shook off those thoughts: entering her room now was clearly in her best interests. He had no way of knowing what was going on in her room and he couldn’t be sure that she wasn’t in any immediate danger until he entered so he knew he was just going to have to push aside any discomfort he felt at “invading” her private space and walk in. Apologies could be made after, when he was sure she was safe.

Pushing open the door, Jon entered the room to find…

It was empty.

He moved further into the room, anxiety coursing through his body as he took in more details.

The layout of her bedroom was very similar to the guest bedroom he was staying in, although hers was obviously bigger. There was a double bed, the headboard patterned with jewels and fit for a princess, with soft pink sheets and purple pillows. The rest of the furniture was white, two bedside tables on either side of the bed and a set of drawers directly opposite with a TV on top. Aside from decorations or photos on the walls, the only thing this room had that his didn’t was a dressing table and a giant mirror on the wall above it.

Daenerys wasn’t in her bed but judging from the way her duvet was messed up, almost completely on the floor, and the still wet tear tracks on her pillow, she had most likely gotten up very quickly and not that long ago.

At the sound of coughing, his head shot up and his gaze settled on a door at the other end of the room. He walked across the room and, taking a deep breath, knocked on the door.

“Just a second!” Came a muffled reply.

“Okay.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say to her through the door.

As he moved to sit on the end of her bed, he heard the toilet flush then the taps turn on and the dots started to connect in his mind.

Jon couldn’t believe he hadn’t realised sooner. The anxious vomiting, the terror that crossed her face every time someone so much as slammed a door, how shaky and on edge she seemed whenever she was outside her home. It was so obviously clear that something was wrong, but Jon supposed that, deep down, he was hoping it wouldn’t be this.

From his own experiences in the army and from working with a national security agency, Jon knew what PTSD could look like and he knew what it could do to people. Now that it had clicked, the screaming he thought he had imagined coupled with the tear stains on her pillow made more sense to him. Her having nightmares was less surprising than the fact Jon hadn’t noticed.

The sound of a lock sliding open broke him away from his thoughts and he stood up quickly as Daenerys slowly appeared from behind the door, a mournful expression etched into her features.

Her brows furrowed as her gaze fell onto him, confusion spreading across her face as if she had forgotten that Jon was out there.

“Jon? I’m sorry. Did I wake you or…?”

“No, I thought I heard something, and I got worried.” He paused, trying to choose his next words carefully. “If you’d like to talk about it, I’m here.”

“No.” Daenerys shook her head before letting out a small, sad laugh under her breath. “It just… replays. In my head. Over and over. Like it’s happening all over again.” She shook her head once more. “Talking about it right now would just be reliving it again in a slightly different way. I’m okay now though.”

“I understand.” He knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to say next, but he couldn’t not voice his thoughts. “I know you didn’t ask for my opinion and I may be overstepping by saying this but, maybe you going back to work this week isn’t the best idea? It might be good for you to take some more time, y’know, allow yourself to heal properly before you go back into what could be an environment that just causes you extra stress.”

There was a moment of silence that seemed to drag in such a way that Jon was sure that he _had_ overstepped his boundaries with what he had said.

“Thank you. I appreciate your honesty.”

“But?”

“But I’m still gonna go back to work this week. I really do think it’ll be good for me. Trust me.” She gave him a small smile.

Jon couldn’t say he agreed with her, but it didn’t seem like now would be a good time to press the issue, so he just returned her smile with one of his own before he gestured towards the door.

“Well, if you’re sure you’re alright now, I’ll leave you to try and get some rest.” He gave her a small nod and began moving towards the door.

Jon hadn’t even made it halfway when Daenerys called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. He turned and saw that she hadn’t moved from where she had been stood but she seemed more nervous now, wringing her hands together as she watched him.

Before she had even said a word, Jon knew what she was thinking.

“Would you mind staying? Until I fall asleep? I just…” She trailed off but Jon could work out where she was going with that thought. _Don’t want to be alone. That’s understandable._

Despite the voice screaming in the back of his mind about keeping things professional once again, Jon found himself agreeing to her request without a moment’s hesitation.

***

Almost an hour had passed since Daenerys had asked Jon to stay with her yet sleep still escaped her.

Jon was sat up, back resting against her headboard and had only his legs tucked under the blanket, as Daenerys lay beside him, blanket pulled up to her chin and wrapped around her tightly.

Neither of them had spoken a word since getting into bed and Daenerys wondered if he knew she was still awake or if he thought she had fallen asleep and decided to stay beside her anyway. Maybe he had fallen asleep himself?

No.

Opening her eyes just a crack, and after allowing them to adjust to the darkness of her room, Daenerys could see him looking around her room, his eyes now trained on the bookshelves nearby.

“Can you make out the titles from here?”

She felt the bed shift as he chuckled softly under his breath.

“No. The dark’s not gonna stop me from trying though.”

Daenerys felt herself relax a little, though a small smile dropped from her face as soon as it had appeared. She couldn’t place exactly what it was about him, but Jon was somehow able to put her at ease with little to no effort. There was something about him that made her want to tell him everything about herself.

“I can’t stop thinking about it.” It had been quiet for a few minutes when she spoke. “I think I managed to block most of it out for the first week or so. Like it hadn’t even happened. But as soon as I was back, doing my normal things, it just wouldn’t stop coming to me. I think I’ve figured out the best ways to distract myself completely during the day but at night…”

She paused, letting out a shaky breath. She couldn’t quite believe that she was actually saying any of this out loud. Jon said nothing, but she could feel how intensely he was listening to her through his silence. She also understood why he was silent – it was clear to them both that if he spoke right now, she would lose her nerve and the moment for her to speak some of her truths would pass.

So, Daenerys continued.

“I see her face all the time – Elia’s. Every time I close my eyes, there she is. The whole thing plays out. She’s laughing, we’re happy, and then her face changes. It’s all screwed up and when I look down, my clothes… my hands are covered in her blood.” Daenerys sniffled. “I barely even heard the windows shatter, but my ears were ringing the whole time. I couldn’t move at all, I just…”

Daenerys let out a wry chuckle, shaking her head and adjusting her blanket.

“It’s so fucking stupid. I just sat there, like an idiot, and then I tried to reach for her. Stop the bleeding somehow but I knew it was too late: she was already gone and there were more shots and before I knew it, I was on the floor of the car with Viserys on top of me, shielding me. I remember him telling me not to look but his voice sounded so far away, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Her body just slumped in her seat. Her eyes were still open, but they looked so empty.” She quickly blinked away the tears that had sprung to her eyes and cleared her throat. “Vis told me later that I’d been screaming the whole time. That didn’t even register at the time. It still doesn’t.”

Daenerys looked up at Jon to find him already looking down at her, his expression unreadable in the darkness of the room.

“Most of my nightmares are just that: what happened that day. But there are others where Elia speaks to me and,” her voice lowered to a whisper, “she’s so angry. And she’s in so much pain. And she says it’s all my fault, that it should have been me. Then I look away and when I look back at her, it’s not her anymore. It’s my body that’s slumped over and she’s stroking my hair and saying this is how it’s meant to be. Then I wake up and, well, you know what follows all that.”

“Have you found anything that helps you yet?”

“No, not so far. I haven’t really tried anything, to be honest. I’m not sure what could help anyway. It’s just stupid because I know Elia would never hurt me. She’d never want the things I’ve dreamt to actually happen to me.” She sighed. “I don’t know.”

Looking up at him again, Daenerys squinted and could just about make out the furrow in his brows as he thought about what she said. Jon unclasped his hands and moved to gently grip one of hers before speaking.

“I think talking about it was a good place to start. Thank you for trusting me with this.”

The thought of talking to anyone about what had happened and what she had been dreaming had been a daunting one to say the least and it was something Daenerys never thought she’d build up the courage to do. But that was when she thought her only real options for someone to speak to were her father or her brothers. Jon was different.

He was easy to talk to, easy to _want_ to talk to, and, while she couldn’t place what it was, there was something familiar there. Something more that connected them. Something beyond similar trauma. She wanted to tell him everything.

She wanted him to know her.

A smile spread across her face as she gently squeezed his hand.

“Thank you for listening.”


End file.
